The heat capacity of an object determines the extent to which its temperature changes on addition or removal of heat.
For the same heat transfer to two objects/substances of different heat capacities, the one with the lower heat capacity gets hotter!!
Heat capacity (C) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of an object by 1°C (or 1 K*).
The heat capacity of an object depends both on the composition and the mass of the object.
Specific heat capacity (c) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure substance 1°C (or 1 K*).
The heat capacity of an object depends both on the composition and the mass of the object.
| Substance | c/J g–1 °C–1 |
| iron | 0.45 |
| air | 1.01 |
| water | 4.184 |
Specific heat capacity (c) is the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 g of pure substance 1°C (or 1 K*).
As you might expect, the specific heat capacity of a metal like iron is lower than air or water (that is, less heat is required to increase their temperature).
The high heat capacity of water means that the oceans moderate the temperature difference between night and day by storing heat from the sun during the day, and releasing that heat at night to warm air that moves in over land.
The high heat capacity of water means that the oceans moderate the temperature difference between night and day by storing heat from the sun during the day, and releasing that heat at night to warm air that moves in over land.
*For the Kelvin temperature scale, 0 K equals –273 °C,
but the size of one Kelvin is the same as 1 degree Celsius.
Thus the magnitude of differences in Kelvin and Celsius are equal.
but the size of one Kelvin is the same as 1 degree Celsius.
Thus the magnitude of differences in Kelvin and Celsius are equal.
For the same heat transfer to two objects/substances of different heat capacities, the one with the lower heat capacity gets hotter!!